Motion Pictures Draggin’ in Connecticut

Thank you for posting this film. I loved watching it this morning. Very cool to see the fabled "Ted Ware" Pontiac from my hometown and a '52 Willys Aero go down the track at 10:36! Something you don't see every day! Many great cars on this film. Thanks again.

 

Maratta Missile right there in the beginning. Excited to watch more.

@HotRod28AR have you seen this?

 

Here’s another “Connecticut Dragway ‘60s {& ‘70s} video that popped up 3 years ago:

posted on YouTube by Nick Pettitt
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Cool. I can't wait to watch. That's my hometown of East Haddam. My Dad raced there and all his car club buddies also.

 

I would have sworn it was in Colchester, but there it is in East Haddam, just across the line. Went there in the early 80's when it was still running.

 

This is amazing two of our roadsters are shown running on the track and there's also video of them in the pits where the art work on their decklids is shown.

The first roadster is our blue Deuce pictured in my Avatar which this year my wife and I have owned for 50 years. The Deuce was originally built and raced as a B altered by Al Volpe when he was a member of the Coachman Car Club in New Haven Connecticut. The second roadster is our restored red T altered built and run by the Cam Carriers Car Club from Branford Connecticut. Both cars ran opening day 1961 at the Conn Dragway.

Here's the time spots from this great video of these roadsters The Deuce is leaving the line smoking the tires at 1:52 and again 3:55. At 2:38 Al Volpe is working on the small block Chevy engine in the pits the engine has 6 deuces. And finally the deck lid art work is shown at 3:40 this to me is the incredible part Al told me there was a Gorilla drawing on the deck lid and the name Hot Stuff on the lower panel he didn't have pictures to show me so now there's finally documentation of what it looked like simply amazing.

Our second roadster is the restored Cam Carriers T altered shown in the pits at 2:42 the Road Runner deck lid art work is shown. At 2:45 the Ford flathead engine can be seen. At 4:38 the the T altered is leaving the line. The Cam Carriers altered is restored exactly as shown in this video.

Some additional history about the T altered in 1980 I learned the AACA had a category for documented race cars I think its 24A. I was told no drag cars had even been entered in the 24A class. So beginning in 1981 in unrestored as found condition I began taking the car to the AACA Hershey fall meet becoming the first to ever show a Drag/Hot Rod at the sacred grounds of the restoration crowd. Initially it was not a very welcome experience however once the car was on the show field many gave support to this and from then on I continued to bring the car yearly. Each year the support grew including from the higher ups in the AACA. Each year I continued to improve its appearance by doing all the restoration myself. In 1983 a Junior first place award was received and finally in 1984 a Senior first award was attained. Now by this time others were bringing to Hershey Drag cars and Lakes roadsters to show in the AACA 24A category. The car that opened that door is this little T altered built by the Cam Carriers from Branford Conn and the stubbornness of me continuing to show the car so the ice would be broken for others to follow in my foot steps.
Ronnieroadster

 

Joey, thanks for the video. I was there on opening day. The white 1932 Ford 3 window coupe, with the flame paint, and the white Fiat Topolino with the flame paint job were owned by Stan Adams from Oakville, Connecticut. The blue model "A" with the license plate "AGAS" was owned by Frank Maratta, the owner of the dragstrip.. The chopped and channeled black 1933-34 Chevrolet 3 window coupe, only shown for a few seconds was owned by Jim Cote. The black Chrysler limousine with the dragster on the trailer was "Rapid Red Lang with his crew, "The Dead End Kids". I will look at the video again, and try to identify more of the racers.

 

Ronnie, thanks for chiming in. You can and do supply a lot of information to The HAMB, and The Ford Barn. I remember meeting you for the first time when your roadster was painted yellow. How many years ago was that ?

 

Great article and video Joey ... just what I needed for a Hot Rod 'lift-me-up' .. Thank you.

 

Hi Nick painted the roadster yellow in 1974. Prior to that it was just rattle can primer black.

 

You need to drive in from Colchester to get on to the property.

I am from Haddam, which is just on the other side of the river, to the West.

@J.Ukrop, this track closed just 7-months before I got my license, and when my 1969 Chevelle was already ready-to-race. Right then is when I turned it into a corner carver.

 

Iirc it closed after my senior year at Hale-Ray in '85. I joined the junior firemen so I could go to the track.

 

The Connecticut Drag-way is gone, but not forgotten. Every February the Connecticut Street Rod****ociation has a film / slide show in Wallingford, Connecticut. It is worth going to, for the slides, movies, and old timers that show up. Check with Ronnie Roadster for details. I used to go when I lived in Connecticut. It was always a good time.

 

I learned about the Dragway from some antique publications that came from some old lady's barn. (I wish I could see all that stuff, now!) She gave a crate of stuff to my mom because she heard I liked old cars. It was the first I'd learned about the place and, for me, it heyday held a bit of mystique afterward. It was a far different experience by the time I got to visit.

Around that same time, I had a neighbor who had the coolest cars. He was a Chevy guy and there was always something coming or going from his garage. One thing I always thought was cool was the he'd transfer his Dragway frame that he put on whatever car he had at the time. I'd ride my bike past his driveway and check the plate to see if the frame was one the latest vehicle.

The history and my neighbor's influence had me searching for a plate frame for the longest time. Man, I'd hit every antique store and garage sale I'd see to try and find one. When I moved, I kept the search alive online. FINALLY, years later, through mentioning on the HAMB, I got one. I may be in Utah but the frame will be a piece that will complete the car.

Maratta's coupe (The Missile version, primarily) has been an influence, for me. I'm glad it was preserved.

 

Check with Ronnie Roadster about a plate frame. He re-popped some several years ago using my original plate frame as a sample.

 

Nick, I think you're the one that hooked me up with him! I got the last one he'd consider selling.

For a long time I considered painting my car a similar color to Maratta's as homage to the car & track but I'm psyched to have the frame (and I'm a wimp about color... it'll be black most likely, hahaha).

 

Find yourself a copy of the book "Cool Cars Square Rollbars" really great history of New England drag racing

 

My brother in law and me restored the black 62 Pontiac super duty in the late eighties. He still owns the car and resides in Knoxville, TN. Also caught a glimps of Peter Murphys 55 Chevy that won E/gas at Indy around the same time. Really brings back alot of memories.

 

Corn Cob Coupe, The Windjammer Ford Falcon wheel-stander was owned and built by Jim Barillaro, a very talented individual, chassis. engine, body work, paint, etc. who has since passed. Jim's sons, Mike and Jim have a very successful shop in Knoxville, Tennessee.